Elisha Pulivarti from Washington DC
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a joint session of the US Congress on June 22, Thursday, during his official state visit to the country, top congressional leaders announced on Friday. “On behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, it is our honour to invite you (Prime Minister Modi) to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday, June 22,” they said in a statement.
The statement was signed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. This will be the second time that Modi will be addressing a joint meeting of the US Congress. President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Modi for an Official State visit to the US, which will include a state dinner, on June 22.
Modi scores a Diplomatic win
PM Modi scored a diplomatic victory by getting an opportunity to addressing joint session of US congress during his visit to the country. Though this will be his second such address, earlier he did during Donald Trump administration. Modi maintained a close rapport with Trump in late 2019, and hosted the latter in Ahmedabad in early 2020.
That has cast a shadow of sorts on the relations between US and India after Biden came to power later that year. Democrats viewed with suspicion at Modi due to his closeness with Trump. Many believed that as one of the reasons for delayed processing of US visas from its Indian embassies.
Now that Modi got an invite to state visit that includes a state dinner at White House, his address to the joint session of US congress completes fullness of bilateral relations between both the countries. Analysts view this development as a positive sign for US and India which are trying to build many platforms at the global level of late.
Letter of US congress house leaders
